BBOWT highlights climate change priorities for future MPs

The trust has highlighted bringing back lost wildlife, ending river pollution, creating a budget for wildlife-friendly farming, facilitating healthier communities, and addressing climate change as five priorities.

The charity has stressed the significance of these issues in a series of YouTube videos.

The clips show how the trust's efforts are combatting the climate and nature crisis.

The campaign comes after 2023 was declared the hottest year on record and September’s State of Nature report concluded that one in six species in the UK was at risk of extinction in the country.

Legislation protecting nature is being "watered down" and "dismantled" according to the trust.

BBOWT CEO Estelle Bailey (Image: Ric Mellis)

Estelle Bailey, chief executive of BBOWT, said: "We are facing a nature and climate crisis the likes of which we have never seen, it's getting worse, and time is running out.

"We are already seeing the effects of climate change on mammals, birds, butterflies and plants at the nature reserves that we manage for wildlife in these three counties, and that's adding to decades of destructive pressure from pollution, unsustainable development destroying habitats and industrial agriculture.

"What happens at this year's General Election could not be more crucial: whichever party wins could seal the fate of our turtle doves, tortoiseshell butterflies, dormice, hedgehogs and hundreds more species."

She added: "But whatever they do for nature will also have a huge effect on our wellbeing, our physical and mental health.

"Whatever way you vote this year, please - ask your candidates to sign up to our five priorities and vote for nature."

BBOWT has already begun addressing these issues.

They have worked to increase the population of UK's water voles, which has declined by 90 per cent since the 1970s.

Water vole numbers in the UK have dropped by 90 per cent since the 1970's (Image: Oxford Mail)

They are also working to end river pollution and water scarcity.

To do this they are trying to increase the protection of chalk streams, of which there are only 250 left.

The industrialisation of agriculture has harmed UK wildlife according to BBOWT, often leading to population reduction, hence, wildlife-friendly farming is regarded as a positive alternative.

Towards achieving healthy communities, BBOWT works with urban communities in Bicester, Banbury, Slough, and Reading.

The organisation has recently completed a £2 million project at its Chimney Meadows Nature Reserve in Oxfordshire between Abingdon and Farringdon, designed to tackle the climate emergency.

The Trust launched the Nature Recovery Fund last year, its biggest-ever appeal, aiming to raise £3 million in three years to support all its work tackling the nature and climate crisis locally.